KATHMANDU, MARCH 14 The four-year-old party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, has gained a historical majority in the March 5 election for the new government. At the same time a debate has emerged over whether the party got such a supermajority due to the Balendra (Balen) wave. The answer is: Yes. Balen's acceptance during the election 'roadshow' has truly permeated the ballot. When voters cast ballots, they saw Balen first, followed by the bell (RSP's election symbol), the RSP and the candidate. Balen, a senior leader of the RSP, triumphed over former four-time prime minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in his home constituency, Jhapa-5, with an impressive vote margin. Not only Oli but also his party, CPN-UML, faced a humiliating defeat due to the Balen factor in the election. The CPN-UML, which was the second-largest party with 78 seats after the 2022 election, has now been downsized to the third-largest party in the House with just 25 seats - nine from first-past-thepost and 16 from proportional representation. The Nepali Congress has also suffered a major blow despite Gagan Thapa taking the helm of the party through a Special General Convention. The Nepali Congress has become the second-largest party with 38 seats - 18 FPTP and 10 PR seats. The RSP has 182 seats, just two short of a supermajority. It won 125 FPTP seats and 57 through PR. When seats are broken down by province, the Balen wave accounts for the vast majority of the seats (almost 80 per cent) won by RSP. Bimal Gautam, a senior journalist, hailed the Balen tsunami before the election, and it came true once the vote count began. Geopolitical analysts and political commentators concur that Shah was responsible for the RSP's majority. 'In my view, over 80 per cent of the votes that RSP has garnered were because of the Balen wave across the country,' geopolitical analyst and political commentator Jay Nishaant told The Himalayan Times. He further noted that the public did not merely cast ballots, but gave Shah an unambiguous, resounding mandate to serve as prime minister. 'However, the recent media posturing by RSP leaders Rabi Lamichhane, DP Aryal and Hari Dhakal has cast a shadow of doubt on their intentions and raised serious questions about their pre-election commitment,' Nishaant lamented. 'Time will tell whether these remarks were strategies, media trials or slips of the tongue. What is certain is that any retreat from the promise of a full five-year premiership for Shah would be a dangerous misadventure and a definite political Harakiri (a Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment).' According to him, the electorate transcended ideology, ethnicity, geography, caste and class to support 'Madhes Ke Chhora' (which means son of Madhes), Shah with unprecedented aspirations. 'This feels like a final expression of trust in the democratic process and institutions. Should a betrayal of this belief occur, the colossal consequences could jeopardise the country's democratic existence. Any individual or party responsible for this breach of trust will face a public wrath,' he said. During its ground reporting, THT also noticed what appeared to be a Balen craze throughout the Tarai belt. Voters responded that they were voting for Balen because he would steer the nation in the right direction whenever THT questioned the general public about whom they were supporting. Many even admitted that they were voting for Balen rather than the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which may sound bizarre given that the senior leader of the RSP, Shah, contested and won on the RSP ticket. However, the reality is that people voted for Balen. During its ground reporting, THT travelled to Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Siraha, Saptari, Dhanusha, Mahottari and Sarlahi to learn what voters think. While fewer people said they were going to vote for traditional forces like the Nepali Congress, the Nepali Communist Party and the CPN-UML, the majority of them admitted that they would vote for Balen. They did not mention the RSP or Rabi Lamichhane's name. When asked why not Lamichhane, they did not appear to have a clear response, but reiterated that Balen is in their hearts and minds. Many even responded that he had done excellent work in Kathmandu Metropolitan City and that he would transform the country in a similar manner. A long-time member of the CPN-UML had announced his resignation and was rallying support for Balen in Jhapa. 'I and my colony have over 240 votes, all of which support Balen,' said Bharat Raj Dahal. Several other THT respondents shared the same story. However, it was not restricted to Jhapa. Morang had a similar Balen craze, according to local business owner Pankaj Sah. 'Seventy five per cent of my network is supporting Balen,' he told THT. 'Balen has impressed me with his speech and working style. I see him as a leader who truly understands local issues, business problems and national issues.' The Balen craze appeared in all age groups. Muhammad Bacha Muslim, 68, stated that Balen is the person this country needs. 'Only he can correct these corrupt leaders,' he stated. 'Monarchs were better than these leaders.' Princess Magar and Sandhya Acharya of Udayapur, both 16, shared that they are not eligible to vote. They were convincing their parents and grandparents to vote for Balen. 'He speaks less and believes in the outcome. This is the style we like,' they admitted. Traditional party leaders have sold all the industries, rivers and borders, according to Baiju Sah of Sunsari-1. A group of Nepali Congress members and leaders in Janakpur stated unequivocally, 'Had Balen contested from Janakpur, he would have received 90 per cent of the votes. We do not understand why he opted for Jhapa.' They also admitted they all would have voted for him. A traveller had pinned a RSP badge to his bag when THT approached him the day before the election. Shekhar Dhital, 34, was travelling to Gorkha from Chitwan with family members to vote. 'We are going just to vote for Kabindra Burlakoti, the RSP candidate for Gorkha-2,' he said. He also revealed that he had previously been an active member of the Nepali Congress but had changed his mind following the Generation Z revolution. He sounded furious when discussing the Nepali Congress and Gagan Thapa. According to him, Thapa talks too much. Balen, on the other hand, discusses people and possible solutions. 'During his speech in Chitwan, he made it clear that people don't want to listen to long speeches filled with political rhetoric,' he told THT. 'That is why I changed my mind and chose to vote for change.'